Seeing this happy dog up on a surf board is a beautiful sight. But there's much more to the story.Ricochet is a golden retriever with a heart of gold. She's not only a pawsome surfing dog, but also a "SURFice" dog who believes in pawing it forward. That's right, her mission is to help others by raising awareness and funds for human/animal causes.
Judy Fridono, Ricochet's mom and a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT) shared with me some of Ricochet's accomplishments.
Q- Thank you Judy for joining us. I live in New York, so I don't know any surfing dogs. How did Ricochet learn to surf?
A- Part of my nonprofit organization, Puppy Prodigies, focuses on building balance and coordination in puppies. So when Ricochet was learning her service dog tasks, she was also working on balance and coordination. I put a boogie board in a kiddie pool and invited her on it. She took to it, so we slowly progressed to a regular swimming pool, calm water of the bay, and finally to the ocean. Now she participates in some surfing competitions, but her primary objective is helping people and animals.
Q- What are some of the projects Ricochet has been involved in?
A- Her first fundraiser was for a quadriplegic surfer named Patrick Ivison. One day at the beach she jumped on his board and it was clear to me she wanted to surf tandem with him. She raised over $10,000 for his physical therapy and her sponsor, the Rose Foundation, awarded a grant for an additional 3 years of therapy.
Since then she's raised money for arthritis (human and canine), cancer, toy drives, pet food drives, and so much more.
Q- What project is Ricochet supporting now?
A- Ricochet supports several organizations on an ongoing basis. One project she just began working with is Finnley, a 2 yr old little girl who suffered a brain injury. Ricochet is helping raise money for a resistance pool that would greatly help with Finnley's therapy.
Q- What can we do to help?
A- Of course donations to any of these causes are always greatly appreciated, but also spreading the word is such a great help! You can check us out on Facebook and Twitter.
Thank you Judy for sharing Ricochet's inspirational story. There are many worthy causes to join in and support Ricochet in helping others.
As Ricochet "says": Paw-abunga!
